Thursday, June 13, 2013

This post is written by Dr. Malpani and I like it so much ! The words flow direct from his heart and it says so much about who he is - as a doctor, as a human ! I know him for more than a year now, and I have learned so much from him. His writings are a source of great inspiration for me, and I derive the strength and courage to carry on with my IVF struggle from them. He patiently corrects the articles I write (every article), and provides great ideas for the posts too ! This blog wouldn't have been possible without him. I wish every patient gets a Dr like him. I respect and admire him a lot ! Thank you very much Dr !

Even though medicine has traditionally been regarded as a profession
which provides tremendous job satisfaction, many doctors are finding
themselves increasingly dissatisfied with the practice of medicine. In
the past , when doctors met, they used to talk about the interesting
patients they helped to treat. These days they usually talk about
financial stresses, job pressures, bureaucratic hassles and red tape.
Doctors are increasingly toying with the idea of changing careers ,
while others are burning out in their mid-forties. Where has the joy of
practicing medicine gone ?

In order to find joy in medicine, we
need to find meaning in our profession. Work is an essential part of
being alive and physicians are fortunate to work in a job which can
provide so much satisfaction . They are presented with new challenges
daily ; they can apply their mental abilities and their physical
dexterity to successfully solve many of these problems; they are
accorded respect and status; and they have control and autonomy .
Unfortunately, many doctors no longer work for the sake of working -
they’re working for a car, a new house, or a vacation. It’s no longer
the work itself that’s important to them, and this is a shame, because
there is such joy in doing work well.

We are privileged to help
take care of patients, and we need to respect our role, so we can learn
to respect ourselves. If you do what you love and love what you do , you
will find a higher purpose in life - and if you are passionate about
your work , your life will be full of meaning. Getting paid for this
should be seen to be the ultimate bonus !We are fortunate to be
doctors, because we can learn so much from our patients. They bare
their heart to us, and make us privy to their innermost confidences, so
that daily we get a ringside view of human drama, suffering, courage,
life and death – the stuff of which life is made ! Doctors have a chance
to plumb the depths of the human soul, as they accompany their patients
through their suffering. Our work lends itself to contemplation and
introspection – allowing us insights which few other people are
privileged to have. Our patients can teach us how to live and how to die
– and we need to keep our hearts open to their lessons. While it is
true that daily exposure to misery and suffering can drain some
doctors, causing compassion fatigue; and leave others hardened and
unfeeling, these same experiences can also invigorate and rejuvenate
you.

Watching patients die should remind you of your own
mortality , so that you remember to learn to live each day well . Seeing
very ill patients recover should renew your sense of amazement at the
marvels of the human body , so that you appreciate the perfection of
your own body every day. Observing friends and loved ones provide
comfort and courage to the ill should awaken your own feelings of
compassion, so that you remember to touch all your near and dear ones
with love every day. To live life to the fullest, we need to recapture
our sense of wonder at life daily – and being a doctor allows you the
privilege of doing that at close quarters !

It is true that
physician morale is declining today, and doctors are hard pressed to
find job satisfaction. However, instead of focusing our efforts on
trying to identify what is wrong with medicine today, we should identify
happy doctors and delve into their secrets. I am sure we all know
doctors who still look forward to each day as an opportunity to do
good, and to become more skilled physicians. We should try to learn from
their successes. Many of these happy physicians may never become the
president of the medical association, or grab media headlines , or be
written about in House Calls, but they are the true stars of our
profession, because they have found meaning in their lives. My personal
role model is my father, who is one of the most satisfied people I know.
His primary source of happiness is his patients , and they have
provided him a major source of personal sustenance. He enjoys talking to
them, they enjoy talking to him, and his links with them are deep and
personal. Even more importantly, I have learned that professional
satisfaction does not come from acquiring money, but instead from
gaining “social capital” through community ties. He has numerous
extracurricular activities , and is very well connected with his family,
friends and neighbors, and these social bonds contribute enormously to
his satisfaction.

The first rule for being a happy doctor is very
simple – it simply means caring for your patients. Treat all your
patients like VIPs – whether they come from Dharavi or from London .
Remember that the relationship with our patients is at the heart of our
professional role – and a healthy doctor-patient relationship can
nurture both patient and doctor ! Medicine is really about service, not
science - and the true meaning of medicine is found in the
relationships we have with our patients. Savor your patients. When a
patient thanks you for your work or says that you've become like a
family member, stop and relish that moment. Those moments are the real
reward for being a doctor, if you can slow down to let them in. When it
comes to getting positive feedback, no profession in the world comes
close to medicine ! The joy of medicine is in doing good , which is why
patients still confer a special status on us – we need to prove
ourselves worthy of it..

Find an area of special interest in
your field which you enjoy, and acquire a depth of knowledge in this
focused area. Once you've mastered an area, then master its intricacies.
Not only is it personally rewarding, it'll be professionally rewarding,
as well. Your colleagues will refer problem patients in this area to
you ( allowing you to become even more expert in the topic), and you
will also acquire a reputation amongst patients as being very good in
this area.

If you find your practice has become boring, tedious and
monotonous, you need to recharge your batteries. Be willing to do
something new, even if it involves a risk – after all, if you continue
doing the things which bore you, the situation will get even worse !
You can consider hiring an assistant, to take care of the parts of
medicine you find boring, so you can concentrate on what interests you.
Other doctors have rediscovered joy not by narrowing their scope but
broadening it to encompass a new area of expertise – for example, by
exploring alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, homeopathy and
chiropractic.Try to publish and present your clinical experiences.
This will force you to read the medical literature and provide
intellectual discipline as well , as you have to carefully document your
experiences and answer your colleague’s queries. Advances in medicine
depend upon clinical acumen, and if we apply scientific rigor to our
clinical experience , we can all contribute to improving medical
practice. Treasure your rare patients and your difficult cases – they
can teach you the most !

Develop humility. Often you will find
that the reason you are unhappy in your professional life is that you
have let your ego get out of control. Practicing medicine can make us
feel that we are indispensable, and self-importance is a serious malady
that stands in the way of professional satisfaction.

Learn to
develop interests and friends outside medicine. While it is true that
medicine can be a demanding mistress, don’t let her take over your life.
Good doctors are well-rounded individuals , who have an open mind and
are curious about everything. Having outside interests will not only
make you a better person , it will also help make you a better doctor,
as you apply what you learn from other fields to your medical practice.
For example, I enjoy playing tennis, and have found that learning how to
serve has helped improve my surgical skills by honing my hand-eye
coordination.

Do some charitable work – for example, offer a free
clinic once a week. One of the best ways of feeling good about yourself
is by doing good for others , with no strings attached. The gratitude
of the patients you see free of charge is worth much more than any
amount of money . As a doctor you have many opportunities for being
altruistic – make the most of them !

Don't make the mistake of
equating wealth with happiness - the pursuit of wealth only complicates
our search for happiness. . As physicians, we should be grateful that
we get the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of
others every day – a goal most humans aspire to. Be thankful daily that
you can help others - expressing gratitude is a powerful tool in the
search for contentment and self-worth.

Most of us become
doctors in order to help others, and all of us get this opportunity to
do so on a daily basis, whether we work in Mayo Clinic, or in the heart
of rural India. We should remember how lucky we are to belong to such a
privileged profession. Even in ancient India, vaidyas were considered to
be very fortunate, because their lives offered them the opportunity of
fulfilling all the three aims of a good life – dharma ( religious gain,
by relieving the suffering of patients); artha ( material gain, by
building up a rich practice); and kama ( personal satisfaction, by
curing those whom he loves and respects, and by acquiring fame for his
expertise). This is as true today as it has been through the centuries !
Medicine is a wonderful way to make a living – be glad you are a doctor
and make the most of your profession – for your sake, and for the sake
of your patients !

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Disclaimer

Please note that I have no medical training or qualifications, and that the contents of this blog are thereof are opinions, not medical advice.

have medical training or qualifications, and that the contents thereof are opinions, not medical advice. - See more at: http://healthbeat.areavoices.com/2010/09/29/the-expert-patient/#sthash.YPxLA3EA.dpuf

have medical training or qualifications, and that the contents thereof are opinions, not medical advice. - See more at: http://healthbeat.areavoices.com/2010/09/29/the-expert-patient/#sthash.YPxLA3EA.dpufPlease note that I have no medical training or qualifications, and that the contents of this blog are thereof are opinions, not medical advice.

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I thrive on love and affection!

I am a 36 year old Indian woman, happily married for seven years. This blog captures the 7 year infertility journey we went through to have our daughter Anisha. I have to undergo7 IVF/ICSI cycles, three miscarriage (including a still birth where I lost my twins to incompetent cervix) and 3 FETs to have our little miracle in hand. This journey was excruciatingly painful at times yet shaped me in ways happy times wouldn't have. Looking back, I wonder about myself ! I feel proud that I was able to be sane and strong after so many IVFs and heartbreaking miscarriages. Now I am very happy and serene than if I would have had children without any problems ( a bit crazy too ! :) The secret is, infertility is a great teacher. It taught me to be strong, humble, resilient, rational, forgiving, empathizing and hopeful. BTW, I am a scientist by profession. I hold a doctorate degree in Human Biology and I believe my education has helped me to tackle infertility bravely. I would like to share my experience and knowledge which I gained during this happy struggle to meet our offspring with you all. If you could share with me your thoughts and experiences I will be very happy !